Liverpool came from behind to beat Atlético, while PSG walloped Slovan Bratislava and Chelsea won a wild League Cup tie with Leeds
In Barcelona, by the way, Shaqueel van Persie has come on for Feyenoord, making his European debut. Any idea who his old fella is?
On which point, have you seen Liam van Nistelrooy’s running gait?
Continue reading...New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is set to become the latest athlete to parlay success on the court into a high-profile acting gig.
Brunson will host Saturday Night Live's Season 52 premiere on Sept. 26, 2026, according to NBC, after leading the Knicks to the NBA championship and earning NBA Finals MVP honors this year. It will be Brunson's hosting debut on SNL.
Brunson is the fifth NBA star to be tapped as a host by the long-running late-night sketch comedy show, joining only Bill Russell, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Girl group KATSEYE will serve as the musical guest on Brunson's Saturday Night Live episode.
Brunson averaged 28.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 19 playoff games last season for the Knicks before leading the franchise to its first NBA title since 1973. Brunson underwent wrist surgery earlier this offseason, but is expected to return to basketball-related activities in time for the start of training camp.
Brunson has previously appeared in a non-wrestling guest performer role with WWE, mostly in conjunction with Indiana Pacers star and fellow pro wrestling fan Tyrese Haliburton.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks star Jalen Brunson set to host SNL Season 52 premiere
Ahead of NHL training camps, each team sends a representative to the NHL Media Tour in Las Vegas. This year, the New York Islanders sent Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Matthew Schaefer as their representative.
Matthew Schaefer Representing Islanders At NHL Media Tour In Las VegasThe Calder Trophy winner heads to Sin City as the face of the franchise, showcasing his elite skill and community leadership on hockey’s biggest promotional stage.Schaefer, 19, lit the hockey world on fire last season as an 18-year-old rookie, shattering all previous records for 18-year-old defensemen and establishing himself as a generational talent.
He recorded 23 goals and 59 points, good for second on the team in both categories, while also landing him the Calder Trophy awarded to the NHL's best rookie.
The question is, how does he even top a season like that?
Schaefer's already motivated to blow it out of the water.
"I will always have the highest expectations," Schaefer said to reporters, including The Hockey News' Michael Traikos, at the NHL Media Tour. "Last year was good, but I think I can be even better this year [...] I've gotten bigger, stronger, and faster. And I put on some weight, which was awesome."
As for how different it feels going from year one into year two, Schaefer practically called it night and day.
"Yeah, I mean, you go into your first year, you don't know what to expect," Schaefer said. "You're at training camp, you're at rookie camp, and you're a little nervous because you don't know many guys there. You're coming in, it's different. But honestly, I've learned so much from start to finish. I gained my confidence.
"I learned what the league was like," Schaefer continued. "Obviously, there weren't many days off, so you're playing basically every other day, and I found a lot of ways to get my rest and recovery, take care of my body, but play at 100, you know, as close to 100 percent, each and every night, and be hungry every night.
"Year 2 can be even better. And, you know, it took me the first little bit of the season to get going. I want to come out of the gates going right away and carry it through the whole season."
Going straight from Juniors into the NHL is not an easy task whatsoever, but one thing Schaefer has consistently praised the Islanders' organization for everything they've done.
"Obviously, I think the main thing that helped me last year was just everybody in the Islanders organization," Schaefer said. "Mainly my teammates and coaches and all the staff. They helped me so much from top to bottom. So I would like to thank, you know, everybody.
“This is the most fun I've had playing hockey, and, it's all because of the people that are surrounding me and my support system," Schaefer continued. "Every time I come to the rink, I have a smile on my face. I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to work. And I'm ready to just be there with my family. It's awesome.”
There is nobody on the planet in the hockey world like Matthew Schaefer.
It's also increasingly clear that nobody is more motivated than Schaefer to build off his first year and be even better in year two.
"Bigger, stronger, faster."
How's it even possible for Schaefer to get any faster? Only time will tell, but it feels like a pure warning shot to the entire league that the Schaefer Show on Long Island is only just getting started.
Rutgers men's basketball coach Steve Pikiell revealed he has cancer.
Pikiell announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9 he was not feeling 100% a few months ago and visited the team doctors, and after undergoing testing, he learned he has cancer. He did not disclose what type of cancer it was.
"I am incredibly grateful to my team of doctors at RWJBarnabas Health and Memorial Sloan Kettering for guiding and supporting us through this difficult time," he said in a statement. "After a successful surgery, my doctors and I have a kick-ass game plan to finish treatment."
Pikiell still plans to be involved with the team "to the best of my ability" as he undergoes chemotherapy in the coming months, but associate head coach Brandin Knight will be at the helm when Pikiell is unable to.
Rutgers athletic director Keli Zinn said there is no set timeline for when Pikiell will be able to fully return to the team.
"We are grateful to Coach Knight for his willingness to step up during this challenging time and to our entire staff for their great care and compassion for Coach and our student-athletes," Zinn said.
A letter from men's basketball head coach Steve Pikiell to Rutgers Nation. https://t.co/lvMCRvht2V#TheKnighthood🛡️⚔️ pic.twitter.com/gkWOjHWCuK
— Rutgers Men’s Basketball 🏀 (@RutgersMBB) September 9, 2026
Pikiell arrived at Rutgers in 2016 and led the Scarlet Knights to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, their first apperance in 30 years, and winning its first tournament game in 38 years. Rutgers again made the tournament the following season.
In 10 seasons in Piscataway, Pikiell is 161–160.
Knight has been at Rutgers since Pikiell's arrival in 2016, elevating his way from assistant to associate coach.
Rutgers opens the 2026-27 season against New Haven on Nov. 6.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rutgers men's basketball coach Steve Pikiell reveals cancer diagnosis
The Los Angeles Lakers are not lacking for offensive firepower throughout their perimeter rotation. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are among the NBA’s foremost backcourts overall, especially offensively. Collin Sexton is a dynamite scorer off the bench. Quentin Grimes is a valuable floor-spacer who capably attacks closeouts.
To compete for home-court advantage and a top-four seed out West, though, they must prove they can competently defend on the perimeter. That is not a strength for Dončić, Reaves or Sexton. Grimes’ on-ball defense has ebbed and flowed throughout his career. Reinforcements in that department must arise elsewhere for Los Angeles to properly complement what should be a potent offensive unit led by Dončić and Reaves.
Enter Ziaire Williams, whom the Lakers inked to a one-year, $2.8 million deal earlier this summer. During a recent interview with Benjamin Royer of The Orange County Register, Williams laid out the role Lakers head coach JJ Redick and President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka envision for him. Their priority, according to initial conversations he’s had with them, centers on “first and foremost, being a main defender, point-of-attack defender.”
Thus far in his career, Williams has shown some standout lateral agility and ability to navigate screens effectively. But he’ll need to find consistency on offense to amplify his defensive flashes.
Throughout his first five NBA seasons, he’s largely struggled as a shot-maker. He’s knocked down 42.2% of his field goals, including 32.2% beyond the arc, which compose more than half (55.4%) of his total attempts. He has, however, flashed keen off-ball movement, converted a career-high 34.3% of his triples last season and is a career 54.6% shooter inside the arc. He’s hoping all of those skills fit seamlessly alongside the Lakers’ primary creators.
“Obviously Luka (Doncic) and AR (Austin Reaves) are going to be the main primary ball handlers,” Williams told Royer. “So just playing off them, being able to shoot, cut, make plays in transition, stuff like that. They thought it was a great fit for me to be here, and the feeling was mutual.”
Williams will have the chance to compete for heavy minutes in the Lakers’ crowded, yet mostly unproven wing rotation this upcoming season. While the likes of Grimes, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt Matisse Thybulle, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht and rookie Cameron Carr will all similarly look to earn significant playing time, any definitive claim to minutes — save for maybe Grimes — seems dubious currently. If Williams expands upon his career-best year in 2025-26, the chance to carve out a prominent role is absolutely available.
“I just thought it was a great opportunity,” Williams said of why he chose to sign with the Lakers after averaging a career-high 10.2 points per game for the Brooklyn Nets last season. “Being that big wing, versatile player that they needed, I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to be a Laker. Even if the same team was in New Orleans or Milwaukee, wherever – just the opportunity that was here and the team that they had, I just thought it was the best fit. And then just being back home in L.A. is the cherry on top. Being able to play in front of my family and my friends, and I’m super excited.”
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
Jalen Brunson is taking another legendary step, joining Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Charles Barkley in another rare milestone for an NBA career:
Brunson will host the season opener of Saturday Night Live on Sept. 26 with musical guest KATSEYE.
FIRST FOUR OF SEASON 52!!! pic.twitter.com/m8F1Hnf1gS
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) September 9, 2026
Brunson became a New York legend and icon as the NBA Finals MVP, leading the Knicks to their first title in 53 years last June, setting off wild celebrations around the city that might still be going on. With plenty of Knicks fans on staff with SNL, this was not going to be a hard sell.
Technically, this does come a few days after the start of Knicks training camp, but like anybody was going to tell Brunson no here. If there was one thing I would be sure of, it's other Knicks appearing on that show in some capacity.
The list of professional athletes who have hosted Saturday Night Live is long and storied, and includes Joe Montana and Walter Payton (as co-hosts in 1987 before the Super Bowl), Wayne Gretzky, Dion Sanders, Derek Jeter, Jeff Gordon, Tom Brady, Michael Phelps, Peyton Manning, and Travis Kelce, just to name a few. Charles Barkley has hosted four times.
In addition to the broadcast on NBC (11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT), "SNL" streams live on Peacock. Stream every season of SNL now on Peacock.
The St. Louis Blues have had little trouble finding NHL-caliber players in the early rounds of the NHL draft as of late.
On their projected opening-night roster, four players were selected by the Blues in the first round, but another five were acquired via trades or free agency. Additionally, the Blues have first-round picks like Otto Stenberg, Theo Lindstein, Zach Dean, Adam Jiricek, Justin Carbonneau, Tynan Lawrence, and Maddox Dagenais waiting for their opportunity as former first-round picks.
Their U-25 talent is extensive, but it hasn't all come from the first round. Dmitry Buchelnikov, Milton Gastrin, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Juraj Pekarcik, Colin Ralph, Lukas Fischer, Love Harenstam, and Marcus Gildof are all on the Blues' radar as prospects, all of whom were selected in the second round or later.
But another late-round pick has put his name on the map. That is none other than Matvei Korotky.
Selected in the seventh round (211th overall) by the Blues in the 2025 NHL draft, Korotky was impressive in his sophomore season in the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg, scoring 14 goals and 27 points in 43 games.
Standing 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, Korotky is a skilled center with a heavy shot. His shot is likely his best offensive trait, as he doesn't need much time and space to show it off. In his KHL rookie season, Korotky notched five goals and nine points in 30 games.
NHL Prospect Pool Overview '26-27: St. Louis Blues Balancing Retool Better Than Most TeamsThe St. Louis Blues are trying to balance improving their prospect pool while also remaining a playoff team. They've done a solid job of improving their NHL roster through trades, and they've beefed up their prospect pool through multiple first-round picks. But he is more than just a shooter, which should excite Blues fans. Korotky has power-forward traits and is willing to engage physically when the opportunity presents itself. But maybe more importantly, Korotky hounds down pucks on the forecheck.
With his speed and energy, Korotky often forces turnovers and creates instant offense. But as he has developed, Korotky has become more comfortable skating with the puck in transition. Using a combination of skilled hands and power, Korotky drives the puck to the net or slot, as he is always looking to move the puck into high-danger areas.
The now 20-year-old was likely a near throwaway pick as they gambled on some positive traits Korotky possessed. That gamble is looking to pay off early, as those traits- his shot and forechecking- have continued to develop while he has rounded out his game.
Korotky is likely still a ways away from competing for an NHL spot, but he is an interesting prospect who could, down the road, become a useful NHL player for the Blues or a trade chip.
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Megan Thee Stallion is making one thing clear: Her breakup with Klay Thompson has not been a fun ride.
The “Savage” rapper admitted in a recent interview with InStyle that her split from the former Golden State Warriors superstar has caused her to “feel like I’ve been put through the washing machine and the dryer with tins, shovels, and a cactus.”
Megan began dating Thompson last year, and for months, they looked to be on the path of marriage. The two were constantly together, and she even showed up to a number of his NBA games to cheer him on from a courtside chair.
However, in April, Megan announced the pair had separated, writing in an Instagram post that Thompson had cheated on her.
During her chat with InStyle, Megan called the whole situation “very rough.”
“How do I want to say this gently?” she said. “What’s meant for you is always going to work out. And if something is constantly making you feel uncomfortable, just on edge all the time, you probably are not supposed to be there.
“God will always make you uncomfortable when something is not meant for you. I think I just kept trying to make pieces fit that didn’t belong, trying to fit myself into someone else’s life. I was losing myself a little bit. I am now in the space of finding me again.”
Megan added that she’s now seeking a relationship in which she and her boyfriend are on the same pedestal.
“I cannot be minimized,” she said. “I will not be behind any man. I will have a partner. I will be equals with my partner. I’m never gonna take the backseat to anything. So just going forward, I think I’ve just learned this is the type of person that I want to be with, this is what I will tolerate, this is what I won’t tolerate. And if you can’t take that, we just gotta respectfully go our separate ways.”
As for how the single life is treating her, Megan said she’s learning that “being by yourself is OK.”
“Like, I ain’t smiled so much in so long,” she said. “Like, I’m outside twirling in the grass like, ‘Wow, it’s a beautiful day outside!’
“I don’t know the last time I did that.”
I’m back this week and ready to answer your Sixers-related questions.
It’s been relatively quiet, but the Sixers did make a series of Exhibit 10 signings. For those unfamiliar, an Exhibit 10 deal is essentially a training camp contract with an added financial incentive for the player to join the signing team’s G League affiliate. So, these guys will likely end up in Delaware suiting up for the Blue Coats, but it’s worth noting the Sixers have an open two-way spot and an open standard spot (though they can’t fill the latter until December).
The four players include the 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall, Jameer Nelson, Jr., the son of Sixers executive Jameer Nelson, Saint Thomas, who spent last season with the Blue Coats, and Dillon Jones, the former first-round pick and two-time NBA champion with the Thunder and Knicks. Since none of the aforementioned players have more than four years of NBA experience, they’re all technically two-way eligible. While this could be a competition for that final slot, the Sixers could still look at outside candidates as well.
Hit me in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer as many questions as possible.
All-time great players achieve that status by continually defying norms, yet Father Time remains undefeated.
James Harden will be remembered as one of the ten best guards in league history when all is said and done. His peak as a one-man offense in the 2010s with the Houston Rockets hasn’t been topped by many; neither has his incredible longevity. He’s 189 assists away from becoming the only player besides LeBron James to rank in the top ten all-time in both points and assists. But even all-time greats have an expiration date.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a gamble earlier this summer that Harden would continue to play at or near an All-Star level by signing him to a new deal that will pay him an average of $32 million annually over the next three seasons.
Harden’s game has aged gracefully over the last handful of years. He isn’t the one-man offense he was in his prime, yet he has continually found ways to fit into and elevate groups as a supporting piece.
That carried over this past season to Cleveland. The Cavaliers played their best in the playoffs when Harden was on the floor. His ability to orchestrate the offense and take over late in games when needed is one of the reasons why the Cavs were able to advance to the Conference Finals for the first time in eight seasons.
If we judge his new contract on how he just played, this would be a good deal for Cleveland.
Every dollar matters in a salary cap league. That’s especially true for a team like the Cavs that has been doing everything in its power to cut costs after spending last season in the second apron. However, you aren’t going to get a guard playing at or near an All-Star level that isn’t on a rookie deal for cheaper.
To evaluate the contract, let’s first try to pinpoint where exactly Harden is from a skill perspective going into this season.
Player ranking guides shouldn’t be taken as gospel truth, but they do provide a general consensus for where someone stands in the league hierarchy. Currently, The Ringer and NBA 2K27 have him as the 31st-best player. HoopsHype lists him as the ninth-best guard.
This is in line with where some of the catch-all stats have him as well. Dunks and Threes’ actual estimated-plus minus has him at 38th (93rd percentile) last season. Basketball-Reference’s catch-all stats view him a little more favorably, as he was 21st in player efficiency rating (20.7), 19th in box-plus-minus (3.9), and 14th in value of replacement player (3.6).
How much stock you want to put into any of that is up to you. What we can comfortably say is that ranking him as the 31st-best player in the league is completely reasonable.
Now, let’s look at where he stacks up in annual value on his contract. Harden’s contract is expected to start just below $30 million for this upcoming season and should escalate to $34.9 million on the third and final year of his deal.
The $29.7 million he is expected to earn next season would give him the 64th-highest annual salary in the league. That placement is good value for what you’re expecting to get from him, especially considering the quality of many of the players making more than him. Jimmy Butler ($56.8 million), Trae Young ($49.5 million), Zach LaVine ($50 million), Domantas Sabonis ($45.5 million), and Brandon Ingram ($40 million) are all set to make $10 million more than Harden next season. This list puts into perspective how bad some contracts are, and how this isn’t one of them, based on how Harden has been playing.
However, that evaluation is contingent on Harden still being at or near his recent level. NBA history suggests that he won’t continue to do so over the next three years.
Finding a recent comparison for Harden is difficult. Few guards have sustained the consistent level of play for as long as he has. One that comes to mind is Chris Paul.
Catch-all stats are flawed, but they can be used as guideposts for where a career is going. Harden finished 32nd in ESPN’s Player Efficiency this past season at age 36. At the same point in his career, Paul ranked 38th.
Paul made his final All-Star appearance at age 36. He was coming off another impressive season, helping lead the Phoenix Suns to 64 wins. There wasn’t much in his game at that time that would suggest he would begin to decline. That inevitably started during his age-37 season.
Paul was still good at 37. His overall points, assists, and efficiency were down from the year before, but he was still a high-quality player. However, a closer look at some of the advanced stats would suggest a noticeable drop-off that would continue
Paul went from 38th to 76th in ESPN’s Player Efficiency Rating between his age-36 and age-37 seasons. That slide continued as he finished 148th in Player Efficiency Rating during his age-38 season and then 170th in his last full season at age 39.
Harden has more size than Paul, which should help him age better. However, there’s no denying the simple fact that we don’t typically see good guard play from guys at this point in their careers.
There aren’t many examples of someone playing at or near an All-Star level at age 37. Only 12 players in league history have been on an All-Star team at age 37. The list keeps getting smaller the older you get. Only five players have been All-Stars at age 38 (LeBron, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and just three at age 39 (LeBron, Jordan, and Abdul-Jabbar).
More to that point, it’s rare for 39-year-olds to even be in the league. There are only three currently rostered players who will be 39 or older at the start of the season: Mike Conley, Al Horford, and LeBron.
Just because there isn’t a historical precedent for guys playing at a high level in their late 30s doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Last season, Kevin Durant made the All-NBA Second Team, and Steph Curry was still playing at an elite level at age 37. Both are expected to be All-Star-quality players again this upcoming season. Harden certainly has the talent to follow in their footsteps.
Overall, history isn’t on Harden’s or the Cavs side. A significant drop-off in play comes for everyone at some point. That’s true even for all-time great guards like Harden. Odds are this happens for Harden sometime over the lifetime of this new contract.
Still, this is a deal the Cavs felt they had to make. They mortgaged future money in 2028 for more flexibility now to get out from under the second apron and execute a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson. Neither of those things would’ve been possible if Harden had simply opted in to his $42.3 million player option.
Now, we’ll wait and see whether or not this short-term gamble ages like Harden’s gas station wine or a French Sauvignon Blanc.
With Greenville and Salem being done for the year, all eyes are on the teams closest to the Major Leagues as the Red Sox make a mad dash towards October. This year played out a bit differently, as many of the guys that may be able to make a difference on this team offensively have already sniffed the bigs for at least part of the season. Even in a bullpen game, the arms kept it close with 13 Iron Pigs (Phillies AAA) strikeouts. A lot of the commotion on the box score was courtesy of Braiden Ward and Mikey Romero, who each tallied three hits. Ward finished a home run shy of the cycle on a night where the only home run of the game came from Lehigh Valley’s Otto Ward, a birthday boy today.
However, even more than the blown save and subsequent walk off the WooSox suffered in Allentown, the most eyebrow-raising thing on the box score was both Kristian Campbell and Romy Gonzalez being replaced (they were both hitless, but Hickey’s pinch for Gonzalez came after just one at-bat.) Romy has been tearing the cover off the ball in Triple-A, and a move may be coming in several different directions. Connor Wong may see his time with the team coming to a close with Willson Contreras about to return to the team and Mickey Gasper swinging to catcher with a promotion of a defensively capable Gonzalez, or there may be some smoke to the rumors of a struggling Andruw Monasterio packing his locker up, though that report was days ago now. Nevertheless, it’s that time of year to make sweeping conclusions of a footnote in a box score and speculate the implications upon a team trying to make an October run.
Speaking of guys that might make an appearance in some capacity on a team rolling through their magic number before a playoff birth, Tanner Houck made his first pitching appearance since a 2025 Tommy John surgery. It was pretty apparent through his uphill battle to be seen as a decent rotation piece to begin last season, he was playing through an injury. He was very serviceable in 2024 and was a borderline ace in a season where this team lacked one, or at the very least a reliable front of the rotation guy worthy of his first All-Star selection, and it’s really good to see him on the mound again.
These well wishes didn’t fare Houck very well as he allowed a run by walking two to start the fifth inning, but Dalton Rogers also got tripped up by this Binghamton (Mets AA) lineup and he’s been pitching all year. Joe Vogatsky came in and gave the offense enough time to get back on track, and boy did they, as the team had seven different hitters record an extra-base hit including a key one in the 8th inning from Ronald Rosario as his 14th of the season put the Sea Dogs up for good.
Tuesday’s game was named “Anything Can Happen Day” by the team, and even with this team continuing to hit and winning despite three offensive errors, nothing too crazy over a run-of-the-mill game occurred. But there’s plenty to celebrate in a late go-ahead home run to start the last series of 2026.
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.52 ERA) vs. RHP Zebby Matthews (9-9, 4.69 ERA)
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The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Wednesday that the team has signed RFAs Cayden Primeau and Justin Robidas to contract extensions, while also bringing back UFA Skyler Brind'Amour as well.
The three were all key contributors for the AHL's Chicago Wolves last year, who made it to the Calder Cup Final before losing in five games to the Toronto Marlies.
Primeau, 27, was signed to a two-year, one-way deal that will pay him $850,000 in 2026-27 and $975,000 in 2027-28.
The netminder posted a 21-11-7 record last year, with a 0.916 save percentage, a 2.41 goals against average and four shutouts. He then went 9-9-0 in the playoffs with a 0.913 save percentage.
Even though Primeau is expected to play this upcoming season in the AHL, the two-year, one-way deal acts as a bit of deterrent for other teams that may look to claim him as he'll be owed both money and term.
Robidas, 23, signed a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him $850,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level, with a guarantee of at least $125,000.
The 5-foot-8 forward had 23 goals and 60 points in 58 games with the Wolves last season and tacked on an additional seven goals and 16 points in 21 playoff games.
Brind'Amour, 27, signed a one-year, two-way deal that will pay him $850,000 at the NHL level and $125,000 at the AHL level, with a guarantee of at least $225,000.
The son of Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, Skyler had 16 goals and 34 points in 68 games with the Wolves last season and added two goals and four points in 21 playoff games.
All three players will have to go through waivers if reassigned to the AHL.
With the three signings, the Hurricanes only have one outstanding free agent left to work out a contract with that being Russian blueliner Alexander Nikishin.
Carolina Hurricanes Full 2026-27 Schedule
Carolina Hurricanes Games To Be Available Through Prime Video Subscription
Meet The Carolina Hurricanes New Goaltender Tandem
Who Will Replace Seth Jarvis On Carolina's Opening Night Roster?
Former Hurricane Looks To Be Done In NHL
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Kawhi Leonard got off with a slap on the wrist while the NBA brought the hammer down on the Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer for circumventing the salary cap to pay him more.
An agreement was in place to trade Leonard to Toronto, but the Raptors put that on hold, waiting to see the outcome and punishments from the NBA's investigation (they would have been on the hook if Leonard were suspended, for example). Now that the report is (largely) finished and the punishments handed down, the trade can move forward.
So why hasn't the trade happened yet?
First, the trade absolutely will go through, multiple league sources told NBC Sports. That is considered a given. Nobody is pulling out of this deal, both because it would crush reputations to agree to something and then pull out, and also because both sides get things they want out of this trade.
Why the delay in making it official? A couple of reasons. One is that there is no real deadline pressure to do it right now, so long as it gets done in the next couple of weeks, before training camps open Sept. 22.
The other reason: the Clippers have to reorganize their front office in the wake of the suspensions — including president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank — something first reported by Marc Stein at The Stein Line. The expectation is that general manager Trent Redden will step into the big chair for the Clippers for six months, but that is not yet formally in place.
With the Clippers scrambling a little bit to get their ducks in a row, the trade has yet to go through. Expect it to become official in the coming weeks.
As a reminder, that trade sends Leonard to the Raptors, while the Clippers get Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-rounders, two first-round pick swaps and a second-round pick. Make no mistake, the Clippers want this trade to go through, they now need and are counting on those picks after having five of their first-round picks taken away by the league. The Raptors want Leonard, who, paired at forward with Scottie Barnes, forms an interesting and potentially dangerous team in the East.
Diamondbacks News
Corbin Burnes Makes 2026 Debut Against Royals
Three pesky at-bats really put a damper on just how far the pitch-limited Burnes could go in the game, but he still turned in three shutout innings en route to the Diamondbacks going 10 games over .500.
The Good and Not So Good from Burnes’ Return
Hopefully, by the next time Burnes makes an appearance, he will have found the feel for his curve, which was largely an entirely uncompetitive pitch for him on Tuesday night.
Other Baseball News
The 2026 MLB Number Tracker
Tracking the magic and tragic numbers as the season heads into the final stretch. The Diamondacks and Padres both currently have a magic number of 17.
Both Leagues Have Plenty to Untie
There are still numerous outcomes for the playoff picture, but at lest the teams involved are coming into focus. Might this expanded playoff format and new schedule format result in two wild card teams from the NL having a better record than two of the division winners in the AL? Possibly. Will this be a season where a tea (or teams) with a losing record make the postseason?
Shohei Ohtani May Also Be Too Hurt to Hit
Forget the Ohtani versus PCA for MVP debate. Is Shohei Ohtani’s 2026 effectively over?
Devers Making History Proving Haters Wrong
The embattled former Red Sox infielder has bounced back and then some from a disastrous opening to the season.
NL ROY Candidate Returns to Bronx to Face Yankees Who Traded Him
With the injury issues the Yankees have had, they likely could have used the first baseman, but there was no room to stash him until the potential injuries manifested.